Together Again
by Meredith Sinclair
Summary: As close as they once were, five years after the end of the war, Harry and Hermione barely even speak anymore. Now things between Ron and Hermione are deteriorating, and Harry and Hermione are going to be working together again, fighting evil. Can Harry win back the woman he loves? Will they both survive this new battle? A/N: Nope, Harry Potter is not mine!
1. Prologue

As he began to swim up from the bottom of sleep, he felt happier, safer and warmer than he had in years. He felt the urge to flip over and sink back into that happiness, but the sun peeking through the seams of the tent pulled him out. As he came closer to the surface, he felt her bare hip under his hand. He remembered what happened the night before, and a warm spring of contentment began to well up in his stomach. He felt her try to slip out of the bed, and he moved his hand from her hip, sliding it around her ribs and under her, pulling her closer.

"Not yet," his sleepy voice whispered. He moved against her back and placed soft, sweet kisses on the place where her shoulder met her neck.

"Harry," she began and sighed, slightly impatiently.

"No, Hermione. You have the rest of your life to regret this, don't start yet." She stayed, but he felt her stiffen against him, and he knew she was growing uncomfortable. He kissed her neck once more and released her from his embrace.

It had started with that dance. They were both feeling so miserable; he just wanted to see her smile, even for one minute. But once she was in his arms, he could no longer control his feelings. Her sweet scent, her small hand in his, and her soft curves pressed against him drove him to the edge. The music died and they stood, her hand still in his, looking into each others eyes. He couldn't stop himself, he closed his eyes and jumped off the cliff and kissed her. Just once, he told himself. He didn't expect her reaction. Her hands locked behind his neck and she clung to him and kissed him back fiercely. He knew she was lonely, sad and scared. He knew that he would be taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable, but the second he tasted her tongue in his mouth, he didn't care why she was in his arms, he just wanted her. He had wanted her for years, but had known since the Yule Ball that she chose Ron.

There was also this damn war to consider. She would be in enough danger as Harry Potter's best friend, let alone as his girlfriend. He knew that this war would most likely end with his death. It would be hard enough on her to lose a friend, and he didn't want to saddle her with the grief of losing a lover. He knew that Ron would die to protect her, and he would be there for her after he was gone and that he could make her happy. Except, it seemed most of the time that Ron wasn't making her happy. Instead he seemed to spend much of his effort making her miserable. His latest abandonment of them both infuriated Harry, more for the hurt to Hermione than the betrayal to him.

They never slept together again, and after Ron returned to the forest, they forgave him yet again and they never spoke about what had happened that night.


	2. Chapter 1

Five Years Later

* * *

Harry woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. He groaned and flung the covers off. The clock beside the bed glowed 2:37 AM. Who would be here at this hour? He stumbled through the dark apartment, stubbing his toe on a chair leg and cursing as he now limped to the door. He flung it open, prepared to let the person on the other side know exactly how he felt about this middle of the night visit. Before he could get the first word out though, the sight the visitor stopped him cold. It was Hermione, and she looked like she had been crying. She looked at Harry with surprise.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked him.

"She's on an away series with the Harpies" Harry told her.

"Oh." Hermione sounded disappointed. "Sorry to bother you so late, I'll just…" she trailed off as she turned to leave.

"No, Hermione. Come in" he told her. She hesitated, bit her lip and came into the apartment.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Harry as she followed him into the apartment. He and Ginny had split up six months after she became a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. As a professional Quidditch player, an attractive female one at that, her time was in great demand; practices, matches, interviews, parties, and social events. She was just too busy to make their relationship a priority. They had had some nasty spats, but in the end, they had decided to part ways in an amicable manner and remained great friends.

"There have been some burglaries in this neighborhood. Ginny asked me to stay a few nights while she was gone."

"Oh" she said and she followed him into the kitchen.

He put the kettle on and motioned her to a chair at the table. She sat down, sighed deeply and stared at her hands, twisting a small diamond and ruby engagement ring. He could see she was fighting back tears. He sat opposite her and asked, "Hermione, what's wrong?"

She seemed hesitant to confide in him. After the war was over, and she and Ron began dating seriously, she and Harry had become more like acquaintances than close friends. Harry had given her up, and the easy, comfortable friendship was gone and something stiff and awkward had taken its place.

"It's Ron," she began. "He's been drinking a lot. He was out again tonight and I waited up for him. When he got back…" she trailed off again, re-focusing on her fingers. "He said that he had been out with his brother. He got undressed and left his clothes on the floor – like he always does. He got in the shower and I picked up his clothes – like I always do. They reeked of perfume." She gave a big, watery sniff and Harry leaned back and pulled a box of tissues from the kitchen counter. "Thanks" she whispered, grabbing a tissue and the tears flowed more freely now.

"When I asked him about it, he said that I was crazy and paranoid. And that if he had been with another woman, it was because I was so boring any more. That living with me was like living with his mother!"

"Hermione" Harry said, moving to sit in the chair beside her. "That's awful. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Of course he did! The worst part is that it's true! I feel like I am his mother sometimes! He's such a slob, I am always picking up after him, nagging at him, picking fights. And the drinking. Ever since he's been helping manage the shop with George, they are always out drinking together. I don't know how we got to this point."  
Something small and warm bloomed in Harry's heart. A small flicker of hope. As much as he cared for his friends and hated to see them hurt, the thought that Hermione and Ron might be on the verge of splitting up made his heart swell. Just then the kettle began to boil and Harry busied himself making tea.

"Do you have anything stronger?" Hermione asked. Harry looked at her a moment, switched the kettle off and reached into the cupboard next to the stove. He grabbed a bottle of amber liquid and two glasses and poured them each a drink.

"Let's sit in the living room" he suggested, handing her her drink. She followed him and sat beside him on the couch. Harry pointed his wand at the fireplace and lit a fire. They sat quietly together in comfortable silence, drinking.

"What happened to us Harry? We used to talk for hours, you were my best friend. Now, I never see you anymore" she asked, looking into the bottom of her almost empty drink. She tilted her head to rest on his shoulder.

"We grew up and grew apart, I guess" he said, reaching across his body and giving her elbow gentle squeeze.

"Is that really what it is?" she asked.

"Let's pretend that is it" he replied, as he leaned forward and refilled his drink. She held her glass out and he refilled it as well and they settled back into the couch. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder again. He was sure she could feel his heart; it was pounding and he thought it would burst through his chest.

"Do you and Ginny talk often?" he asked her.

"She's become my best friend" Hermione replied. "I can talk to her, even about what an ass her brother is. She keeps my confidences."

"So this happens a lot?"

"More so since Ron started working with George. George is having such a hard time with Fred being gone. Especially since he won't give up the joke shop. He is reminded of what he lost all day, every day. Then he goes out drinking to try to numb his pain. Ron started going with him, to watch over him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Then Ron started drinking too, and it's gone downhill from there."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" he asked her.

"No. I haven't even told Ginny about all the drinking, just the fights. He keeps promising that he won't drink; he's just going out to keep an eye on George. And he always comes back drunk." Another tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away. She threw her head back and downed the rest of her drink. Then she leaned forward and put her empty glass on the table, took Harry's glass from his hand and placed it next to hers. "I don't want to talk about Ron anymore" she said. She turned back to Harry, took his face in her hands and kissed him. Somewhere in his brain he dimly formed the words, "Hermione, no" but the words never made to his lips. Instead he cradled her to him, scooped her up off the couch, and carried her to the bedroom, kissing her the whole way.

* * *

The deep blue of night was giving way to grey shades of morning when he woke up. He was alone in the bed. She was moving quietly around the room collecting her clothes and getting dressed. "Hey" he whispered.

She came to him and sat beside him on the bed, smiling gently. "Hey" she whispered back. She brushed his black hair away from his forehead and kissed his scar. "I have to go."

He wanted to beg her to stay, but felt deep inside that no matter what he said, she wouldn't. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Okay. Will you be alright?"

She frowned slightly, but said, "Yes. I'll see you later."

"Sure" he replied, knowing it wasn't true. God only knew when he would see her again.

* * *

She opened the door to her apartment as quietly as possible. Ron was probably still sleeping it off and she didn't want to wake him. She felt happy for a change and didn't want to deal with him right now. She knew that what she had just done was wrong, but it felt so damn good to let it all go, even for a just a couple of hours. And to wake up next to someone who didn't reek of booze and cigarette smoke, but just to Harry's pleasant, masculine sleep smell was such a nice change. She wanted to just bask in that memory for a while.

She plopped herself down on the sofa and watched out the window as the city began to bloom with color under the rising sun. She thought about that first time with Harry. Another time when Ron had hurt her and he was there to comfort her, to be her best friend. Wasn't that what last night was about as well? She had a small tickle of doubt, that what had happened was, just maybe, more than comfort in a difficult time, but she loved Ron. Didn't she? Wasn't that why she and Harry had been so distant these last five years? So that she wouldn't be reminded about that night so often? She had given up her best friend to keep her boyfriend. She had waited for seven years for Ron after all.

She heard groaning from the bedroom. He's up and hung over again, she thought. She rose from the couch and went into the kitchen to cook his breakfast. She started with the coffee, knowing the smell would get him out of bed, and then she put half a pound of bacon on to fry. After a while, Ron shuffled into the kitchen, just wearing his boxers, rubbing his head.

"Ugh" was the sound he made as he sat at the kitchen table, holding his head in his hands. Hermione remained quiet as she placed his coffee in front of him and returned to the food, flipping the bacon. She wanted to berate him for his behavior last night, for his drinking and for the perfume and the hurtful things he had said, but she knew from experience that it would change nothing and just start another fight, so she kept her silence.

"Long day today, love" he said, sipping his coffee. "Couple of shipments due in and it will all have to be inventoried and shelved." A long day at the shop meant a later start to the drinking which would mean he probably wouldn't be home before dawn tomorrow. Great. He made no mention of the fight last night or the fact that she spent the night somewhere else. Did he even remember what had happened or realize he had slept alone?

"Sure" was all she said as she cracked three eggs into the hot grease from the fried bacon. They were quiet as he drank his coffee and nursed his aching head.

"Hey" he said as realization dawned on him, "You weren't here last night were you?"

"No" she said draining the bacon on a couple paper towels and flipping the eggs.

"So where'd you go?" he asked.

"Ginny's" was her reply.

"Oh" he said as she slid the greasy food in front of him. She poured herself some coffee and sat opposite him at the table. Watching him shovel food into his mouth always disgusted her, so she usually ate her breakfast after he left. He mumbled through a mouthful of eggs, "Wait. I thought Gin was out of town."

Hermione took a breath and pressed her lips together tightly. "She is. Harry is watching her apartment while she's gone." She waited for his reaction to the news that she had spent the night with another man, half scared he would lose his shit and leave her for good, half hoping he would.

He pulled the fork from his mouth and both hands dropped to the tabletop. "So you spent the night with Harry?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She simply said "Yes" with no emotion.

"Oh, ok." he said. "Good thing Gin's couch is comfortable I guess!" he smiled at her and laughed. He had spent several nights there himself when she had thrown him out after a fight. She sighed to herself at his cluelessness, shook her head slightly and stared into her coffee until he finished his breakfast. The thought that anything might be wrong hadn't even crossed his mind. He kissed her cheek and went to dress. "Thanks for breakfast" he called as he walked to the bedroom. As he shaved and dressed she sat in the kitchen chair, finishing her coffee until he left. She sat there for a few minutes more, listening to a clock tick in the silence of the apartment, heaved another deep sigh and got ready to go to work herself. She would like nothing more than to take the day off and lose herself in a good book. She had an internship at the Ministry in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and was busy learning international law and other languages.

But, although the joke shop was doing well, Ron drank away most of what he made anymore. She had used up her few vacation days taking care of him or covering for him at the shop when he was too hung over to function. They were dependent on her income to pay the bills and she really couldn't afford a day off without pay. She used a quick cleaning charm on the breakfast dishes and got ready for work.

* * *

Harry had gone back to sleep after she left and woke up now to the sun streaming through the bedroom windows. He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow she had slept on and inhaled her scent. He missed her. Not just the Hermione he had made love to last night, but Hermione his friend too. Relishing in the fact that Ginny would be gone 3 more days, so he had 2 more nights to sleep with the Hermione-scented pillow, he prepared for his day. After the Battle of Hogwarts and a much deserved vacation, he had chosen to forgo a seventh year of education and take up the Ministry's offer to become an Auror. The training had been long and hard, but he had fought his way through it and was now an Auror third class. Sure, it was mostly desk work at this point, but it's where all Aurors started, and he was actually glad not to get any preferential treatment. He knew Hermione was working at the Ministry too, but he rarely saw her, just an occasional hello in a hallway or elevator.

He was sitting at his desk later that morning, processing a report about the possible locations of Death Eater sympathizers when his boss, John Dawlish called him into the office.

"Potter, have a seat" he said and Harry took a chair across the desk from him. "You've been working on trying to track down some of the last Death Eaters and sympathizers. How's that coming along?"

"Pretty well, I guess. My reports have led to three apprehensions this month" Harry answered. He had been tracking bank accounts, travel documents, reported sightings, trying to pin down their locations so that the field qualified Aurors could go and question suspects, or arrest them if necessary.

"I have been reading your reports, Potter" Dawlish said, leaning back in his chair. "Very thorough, very well done. There seems to be a stumbling block though. The suspects that have left the country, how are you tracking them?"

"That is a problem" Harry admitted. "Mostly through reported sightings and rumors."

"That's what I thought. Don't get me wrong, Potter. I know you are doing the best you can with the information you have. But we need to do better. These people must be brought to justice. They are finding it too easy to hide, simply because they move outside of the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic. I want to reassign you."

Harry scowled. He didn't want to relocate and lose what little seniority he had earned in the Auror department. "But…" he began to protest before Dawlish cut him off.

"Not relocate permanently, just assign you to another section temporarily. You wouldn't lose any seniority here. In fact, if you do well in this assignment and are able to find these suspects," he waved a folder from his desk, "there might be a promotion to Auror Second Class in your near future."

Harry considered this offer, and found it very attractive. That promotion would normally still be a couple of years away. The only remaining question he had was, "Where will I be working?"

Dawlish tossed the file at him. "The Department of International Magical Cooperation. Here are the dossiers of the top 5 suspects that are believed to be in hiding outside of the country. I want you to work with the Department of International Magical Cooperation to track them down."

Harry's heart skipped a beat. An important assignment, a possible early promotion, and working in the same department as Hermione? His day just kept getting better! "Sounds great. When do I start?"

"Immediately. Go down to the Department of International Magical Cooperation and find Gwen Bonham. She's expecting you"

* * *

Hermione was sitting at her desk, studying a book and wearing headphones. A deep male voice boomed Russian phrases at her while she tried to follow along in the textbook. After having mostly mastered the French, Spanish and Italian languages and each countries Wizarding laws, she was now trying to learn Russian. But the Cyrillic characters and the strange syntax of the language was a challenge for her. The Russian lesson, combined with her lack of sleep last night was starting to give her a headache. She pushed off the headphones, leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Trying to learn the language was almost as difficult as trying to learn the archaic, sometimes bizarre Russian Wizarding laws.

She hadn't heard them approach her desk until Gwen said her name.

"Hermione?" she said.

Hermione looked up and saw her supervisor standing there with Harry, and the color drained slightly from her face. Why was he here?

"Oh, hello Gwen," she said. "Harry. What's up?"

"Auror Potter has been temporarily assigned to our department. He is trying to track down Death Eaters and sympathizers that have fled Great Britain, and he will need someone familiar with the Wizarding laws on the continent to help him. I thought of you immediately!" Gwen started to gush just a little now. Normally she was as straight laced and professional as any lawyer, muggle or wizard. However, whenever the talk turned to the war, or Hermione's "heroics", she started to become just a little like a star struck teenager. Add The Boy Who Lived to that conversation and she apparently just couldn't help herself.

"Won't it be great? Two of the 'Golden Trio' working together again, defeating dark forces, battling Death Eaters! So exciting! It really is too bad Mr. Weasley didn't join the Aurors too!"

Battling Death Eaters again was the farthest thing from exciting that Hermione could imagine. She knew that Gwen hadn't battled any herself, or she might pick another word to describe fighting the most powerful Dark wizards on earth. To people like Gwen, who had fled to Australia after Voldemort's return, the war and Hermione's actions were the stuff of romantic fiction.

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her boss. She just said, "Sure Gwen, sounds great."

"Excellent!" Gwen exclaimed. She used her wand to move a vacant desk to the front of Hermione's desk so she and Harry would be sitting face to face. "Here is a space for you two to work. Please let me know if you need any assistance. Good luck!" and Gwen returned to her office.

Harry slowly moved to the chair behind his new desk, sat down and looked at her. "Ok," he said slowly and quietly. "Together again, Hermione."

She met his look directly and said, "Yes, Harry. We always did work well together" putting a slight emphasis on "work". "So, where do we start?" she asked him. He opened the folder and passed her the dossier on top.

"Bloody hell, isn't that just grand" she spat as she read the file. The first suspect they were going to track: Lucius Malfoy, believed to be in hiding in France.


End file.
